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Saint Elendra
The main extant religion in Merindor is, of course, the church of Saint Elendra, whose font of holy power and object of worship is its namesake, a winged goddess of incredible purity and strength attended by three flights of angels; how she came to have the prefix of "Saint" before her name is a heated topic of debate within the church, with one part of it maintaining that she was initially mortal and the other, that it has always been an honorary title affixed to her name. Regardless, Elendra's name is well known everywhere on the continent. Summary A goddess of victory and cleansing with many titles such as the Merciful, the Healer, the Beautiful One, and the Champion, her divine symbol is a six-petaled flower, dyed alternately white and red. Though the force of her miracles are seen everywhere in the land, she usually only interacts actively with extremely accomplished members of her clergy. Nobody is quite sure how the goddess came to exist; she has been a part of the races' memory since the dawn of recorded history. There are numerous theories about her origin, but none can deny her benevolence and strength. She is served by angels, loosely organized into three flights: The Flight of the White Lotus The flight of the White Lotus is associated with healing, light, sacred cleansing, barriers, and protection. Angels from this flight have wings of pure ivory and very light hair, and associated clergymen are often apothecaries, inventors, and healers, working for the benefit of the church as well as the wider world. The Flight of the Crimson Lilium The flight of the Crimson Lilium is associated with fire, righteous anger, struggle, and victory. Angels from this flight are more heavily armored and possess a more warlike bearing, and usually have wings tipped with a warm color, though this can range from light orange to deep carnelian. Associated clergymen are usually inquisitors and militant members of the church, actively seeking out and eliminating ancient sources of evil as well as darkness within. The Flight of the Twin Fantasia The flight of the Twin Fantasia is associated with joy, music, good news, and encouragement. Angels from this flight are often dark-haired, with cheerful expressions on their visages, and their wingtips are tinged with a pleasant blue. Associated clergymen are usually artistically gifted, and are accomplished writers, orators, preachers, and capable leaders and administrators of the church. Hierarchy of the Church The Luminarch holds the highest position in the church, and is elected by a council of archbishops and cardinals. Accompanying the Luminarch is a gathering of high-ranking members of the clergy, who serve as a source of valuable advice as well as the governing body. Below the archbishops and cardinals are the bishops, who act as municipal leaders in Teucrion and leaders of large congregations elsewhere, and below that are the priests and clerics who propagate the teachings of St. Elendra. Although women are not expressly forbidden from becoming clergy, spousal participation in the affairs of the church is seen as essentially mandatory, and thus female clergy are comparatively more uncommon in the higher echelons of the church. Any large village or township is quite likely to have at least a moderately-sized church devoted to Elendra. The parishioners in each village are taken care of by at least one priest, possibly assisted by clerics; larger villages or small townships, several. In sizable towns and more urbane environments, a bishop -- or perhaps several -- holds jurisdiction over the faithful. Archbishops are responsible for the delegation of clergy on a provincial or equivalent level. Cardinals are somewhat more specialized; they typically at least hold the rank of a bishop, but additionally assist in the administrative and decision-making components of the church, coming to agreements, for example, on divisive matters of the faith. Ordainment into the priesthood takes place on a biennial basis, at a congregational event occurring near the festival of Sanctalia. Ordinary clerics, however, may be appointed by bishops at their convenience. Special Divisions of the Church The Flower-Bearers of Elimeia are an order of elite priests, mostly from the flights of the Crimson Lilium and the White Lotus, who are skilled in warfare and are tasked with the defense of Noviopolis and Patavia as well as select important tasks around the continent. The Scholars of Lucenzia, or Lucenzians, are a group of petitioners that act in the interests of the church as well as educate the members of the wider public in theology. The Illumine Lectors are inquisitors, in charge of routing corruption from the ranks of the church and the keeping of laws. Members from these orders are called floresignati, exorcistati sancti, ''and ''cognoscentes respectively. Customs The teachings of Saint Elendra are passed down in a few holy books, with little to no commentary attached; inspired by Saint Elendra, the books are a narrative of holy acts and struggles in ancient times, as well as her principles of faith. The religion's deadly sins include avarice, thoughtlessness, apathy, sloth, and irresponsibility, while the books extol the virtues of moderation, bravery, and temperance. The priesthood accepts members from every race and either gender, and theological study is not required, though it often occurs with potential clergymen. Worship includes, besides congregation in designated sacred buildings (i.e. churches), private meditation as well as solemn prayer. The most important holidays are Caspenalia, during the winter solstice on the eighteenth of Viodion, celebrating the goddess's sweeping away of the overpowering frost of winter; Sanctalia, on the eighth day of Eulis, commemorating the traditional date of when the goddess first came into full divinity; Viritalia, a holiday devoted to extolling the virtues of the goddess, on the twelfth of Zanatria; and Messalia, five days of thanksgiving between Meselo and Camasto to the goddess for the bountiful harvest and her continued protection. Category:Factions Category:Merindor Category:Deities